  |
||||
|
Breaking News from America's Progressive Community... Latest
Releases
The press releases posted here have been provided to NewsCenter by the one of the many progressive organizations we have selected to participate. If you would like more information about this press release, you should contact the organization directly. |
||||
| JANUARY
15, 1999 7:15 PM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: United Steelworkers of America Carl Frankel, 412-562-2441 (Pittsburgh) Gary Hubbard, 202-778-3307 (Washington) |
||||
| Court Rules U.S. Must Respond to USWA Lawsuit Challenging NAFTA | ||||
| WASHINGTON
- January 15 - Today, a U.S. District Court in Birmingham, Ala., has directed the U.S.
Government and the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) to submit briefs
addressing the merits of the union's lawsuit challenging the
unconstitutional adoption of NAFTA because the trade agreement didn't
receive a two-thirds approval vote of the U.S. Senate.
A tentative hearing is scheduled for May 17. Justice Department lawyers had asked the court not to schedule such proceedings until the court had first ruled on the government's motion to dismiss the case. Nonetheless, the court decided to proceed. USWA President George Becker said: "We look forward to presenting our arguments on why NAFTA must be viewed as a treaty that cannot be adopted without complying with the 'treaty clause' of the U.S. Constitution. The government has never explained how it could have come to the conclusion that NAFTA is not a treaty. Our government must now come to grips with this issue. It is a vital one for the future of industrial workers and their communities." The lawsuit challenging NAFTA was filed by the USWA and the Made
in the
USA Foundation on July 13, 1998 in Birmingham. Three present and former USWA
district directors also have joined the lawsuit as plaintiffs. -0- |
||||